HELP on CHICAGO

[Miguel Martins]

Hello
I'm thinking on going to the Chicago area this summer and I wonder if
someone could tell me what should I see or where should go, what is
interesting and what is not.

Thanks...
Please email: Zem...@mail.telepac.pt

[Joe Harkins]

Miguel Martins <Zem...@mail.telepac.pt> wrote:

>I'm thinking on going to the Chicago area this summer and I wonder if
>someone could tell me what should I see or where should go, what is
>interesting and what is not.

Chicago is *THE* Genuine American Metropolis. What you should do there
depends only on the limit of your interests.

For example, it has a 26 mile long park along Lake Michigan, facing into a
clean coool lake filled with huge fish. The beach, at spots, is the equal
of more famous strands. The many music and food outdoor festivals along the
lake sometimes attract one million visitors a day. Don't miss the amusement
park at Navy Pier, especially the huge Ferris Wheel.

It has hundreds (thousands, perhaps) of ethnic restaurants of superb but
inexpensive quality.

The city is the home of 20th Century international skyscraper architecture
of Phillip Johnson, Harry Weese, Mies, and Helmut Jahn as well as the
source of the uniquely American Prarie Style of visionaries such as Frank
Lloyd Wright and his mentors Louis Sullivan and Daniel Burnham.. The city
overflows with living, breathing, fully-functional examples of those
styles. A guided bus tour is very much recommended as a start on your first
day to give you an overview.

Many consider the Chicago Symphony the best in the world, and the venues of
Orchestra Hall and the theater within the 100+ year old Roosevelt U to be
superior in ambiance and sound quality to Carnegie Hall. (I share those
opinions). The Chicago Opera is great. The Art Institute's collection of
19th and 20th Century works of French Impressionism and German
Expressionism is the envy of museums from Manhattan to Moscow. Only the
newer hi-tech library in NYC is superior to Chicago's Harold Washinton
Library (that's the name of the main branch) but Chicago's building is a
masterpiece of public building design.

Then there are two collections of great interest to animal lovers. There's
the Bulls, "da" Bears and the Cubbies (the latter plays in this country's
most comfortable ball-park; go in the day ONLY, the way real baseball
lovers do). The other superior collections of animals can be found at the
Zoo in Lincoln Park, and the one in the suburbs at (oops, I forgotten the
name . . ."brook some thing".

Amrican stage theater, film and would be empty, or at least dull without
the Chicago contribution. There was a time when you could see Joe Montana,
Glenn Close, John Malkavitch, and others at The Steppenwolf Theatre for
less than the price of a movie ticket. Those days are gone, but the
Halstead Street Theater District is alive and well and graduates the next
generation of America's best actors every year.

Second City Theater, which still lives, has provided more ccreative
performers such as Mike Nichols, Elaine MAy, Avery Scrheiber, Peter Boyle,
John and Jim Belushi, the woman from Cheers and the chracter Norm, (love
them, hated that show), and dozens more, than any other in the world. Go to
the last show of a Friday or Sat performance, and stay afterwards for the
traditional improvisations. Belly aches guaranteed.

If there is still a bar across the street from Second City, it used to
called The Earl of Old Town. I was the doorman, ID Checker and bouncer in
the early sixties when some of the best folk singers of the day (John
Prine, Bonnnie Koloc, Steve Goodman, etc.)got their open-mike start. Later,
John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd, looking for a place to drink after legal
hours took over the small building behind Earl's and made it into the very
first (and closed to the public) Blues Brother Bar. They called it The
Sneak Joint, but when the movie came out, the name got changed. I'm sure
there is something equally tacky and delightful there today.

There's more, but that's the point. There's almost too much. It's NY
without the garbage and the attitude, Hong Kong without the humidity,
Calcutta without the street beggars, and at any given moment, especially in
the summertime, half the population of Indianapolis, Milwuakee, St. Lous
and every little farm town in between are walking around with their heads
titlted back and saying, "Golleeee. Looka thet."

They are harmless. They are there for you to stare back at and engage in
conversations about airplane fares and to compare tee-shirt prices. Make
good use of the opportunity. They will lend you cash, allow you to date
their nubile corn-fed and milk-sleek daughters, and invite you to come for
supper (that's wat they call dinner) the next time you are " . . . in our
neck of the woods". That descriptive location is literal.

Finally, Chicago has the very best damned jazz bars, period. Go to Andy's
any weekday Noon to 1:30 or from 5:00 PM to 8:00PM. $5.00 at the door, and
lean against the wall with a beer in your hand, assuming you can get the
bartender's attention,. The room has the most awkward possible layout. Few
standing places allow you a full view of the band, but you will hear the
real thing, "straight-ahead" jazz, as you've probably not heard before..
Andy's is where the real jazz musician's come to play for each other.
Although there is only one four/six man band hired per night, so many
musicians demand a chance "to sit in" that you'll probably see an another
dozen get up and make the musical statment, "guys. listen up. this is how
this piece of music is *supposed* to be played. gimme some space." Then, at
8PM, all those who have a gig that night, leave to play for those tourists
who pay the Big Bucks for the same music (e:g: The Green Door up on the Far
North Side). Those with no gig that night, lie, claim they do, and also
slide away into the night.

Why, I saw a man who danced with his wife . . .but that's another story.

Have a good trip. I lived there many years. Still miss it.